In a principal aspect, the present invention relates to a wrench comprised of a drive handle, a flat plate driving wrench and a set of sockets useful for turning headed bolts and other socket engaging fasteners positioned in limited access areas. Applicant""s assignee, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,178 entitled xe2x80x9cImpact Fan Clutch Wrenchxe2x80x9d issued Mar. 12, 2002 discloses a wrench set comprised of a driving handle and a flat plate wrench used for removing bolts in restricted locations. The identified patent is incorporated herewith by reference.
The wrench set disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,178 is very useful for the purpose described in that patent; namely, removal of vehicle clutch assemblies. In order to be useful, the drive plate wrench, which is utilized to engage a nut associated with a fan clutch assembly, must be uniquely sized to cooperate with a uniquely sized nut associated with the fan clutch assembly. Thus, a series of drive plate wrenches are required in order to effect removal or tightening of the retention nuts for a fan clutch assembly. There has remained, however, the need to have a wrench tool which may be used to tighten or remove various sizes of fasteners or nuts and which may be easily adjusted to engage such fasteners or nuts including nuts positioned in limited access conditions.
Briefly, the present invention comprises a wrench set which includes a drive wrench and drive handle having an impact clement at one end and a driver for engaging the drive wrench at the opposite end. The drive handle is an elongate member and is generally of limited thickness so that it will fit into a restricted or narrow space.
A single drive wrench is used in combination with the drive handle. The single drive wrench is relatively short compared to the drive handle and is typically formed from a flat metal plate. A drive socket connection is provided at one end of the plate. This drive socket connection comprises a drive member for a socket. The drive member projects in a perpendicular direction from the flat plate. A slot is formed in the flat plate at the opposite end of the drive wrench having a configuration that enables driving of the drive wrench by the drive handle. The slot thus opens outwardly from the end of the drive end of the drive wrench and is shaped to include portions extending transversely to the open end slot to thereby define arcuate drive surfaces. As a result, the drive wrench may be positioned in a manner which will enable a socket attached to the one end of the drive wrench to extend outwardly from the flat plate in a perpendicular direction in either of two orientations of the drive wrench plate and be driven about the turning axis of the socket by the drive handle. Any one of a set of sockets may be used in combination with the drive wrench socket drive member, and the drive wrench may be positioned in relation to the drive handle in various orientations; that is, the drive wrench plate may be positioned to orient the socket to extend outwardly from the flat drive wrench plate in either of two directions and thus may be driven about the drive axis of the socket by means of the drive handle.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved, multi-part drive wrench construction wherein the construction includes a drive wrench comprised of a flat plate capable of being combined with any one of a number of sockets attached to the end of the plate to drive a nut or other fastener.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a reasonably priced drive wrench set which is rugged, economical, easy to manipulate in restricted as well as unrestricted spaces and which is reversible.
Further, it is an object of the invention to provide a drive wrench set which may be used in combination with a pneumatic driver, or other types of driving devices, to detach or unscrew a bolt or fastener or to attach a bolt or fastener quickly and easily regardless of the orientation of the bolt or fastener.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.